The Love of God, As A Resting Place to Believing Souls in Evil Times, by John Flavel. The following contains an excerpt from Chapter Eleven of his work, "The Righteous Man's Refuge".

Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be over-past.
— ISA. 26:20

But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
~ Jeremiah 7:23

The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
~ Proverbs 18:10

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
~ Psalm 27:5

To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave. Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
~ Psalm 57:1

1. That wherever the special love of God goes, there the special presence of God goes also, John 14:23. "He shall be loved of my Father, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." And O how secure and safe must those be (however times govern) with whom God himself maketh his abode? For as the Psalmist speaks, Psal. 91:1. "He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." And he that is over-shadowed by an Almighty power, need not fear how many mighty enemies combine against him.

2. Wherever the special love of God is placed, that person becomes precious and highly valuable in the eyes of God; he appreciates and estimates such a man as his peculiar treasure, which naturally and necessarily draws and spreads the wing of Divine care over him for his protection, Deut. 23:12. "The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him all the day long." Things of greatest value are always kept in safest custody.

3. Upon whomsoever the special love of God is set, there all events and issues of troubles are sure to be over-ruled to the eternal advantage of that soul, Rom. 8:28. Which consideration alone is sufficient to unsting all the troubles in the world, and make the beloved of the Lord shout and triumph in the midst of tribulations.

But let us enter yet farther into this glorious chamber of Divine love, and more particularly view the admirable properties thereof; though, when all is done, it will be found a love passing knowledge; our thoughts may admire, but can never measure it.

1. And first, you will find it an ancient love whose spring is in eternity itself. Believer, God is thine ancient friend, who foresaw and loved thee before thou wast, yea, before this world was in being; the fruits and effects thereof thou gatherest in time, but the root that produces them was before all time, Prov. 8:22, 23. "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was." Thus was the love of God contriving, and providing the best of mercies in Christ for us; while, as yet, there were no such creatures in the world, nor a world prepared to receive us.

2. The love of God to his people is a free, and altogether undeserved love. It must needs be so, seeing it preceded our very being; which had it not done, yet no motives had been found in us to allure it to us more than others, Deut. 7:7. "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor chuse you, because ye were more in number than any people (for ye were the fewest of all people) but because the Lord loved you." So that we cannot find one stone of our merit in the foundation of this love; for those whom it embraces in its arms are immerentes & male merentes, ill-deserving, as well as undeserving. We were loved of God before we were lovely in ourselves; it was freely pitched upon us, not purchased by us, Isa. 43:24.

3. The love, of God to believers is a bountiful love, streaming forth continually mercies both innumerable and invaluable to their souls and bodies, 2 Pet. 1:3. Christian, it would quickly weary thine arm, yea, let me say, the arm of an angel, but to write down the thousandth part of the mercies which have already flowed out of this precious fountain to thee; though all thou hast received or shalt receive in this world, are but the beginnings of mercy, and. first- fruits of the love of God to thee: it is the love of God which daily loads thee with benefits, as the expression is, Psal. 68:19. And if thou art daily loaded with mercies, what an heap of mercies will the mercies of thy whole life be?

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